Editor’s note: This is issue 7 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from Dec. 23-Dec. 31, 2024. This newsletter was until recently titled “Ukrainian Economy in Brief." The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial
Two Russian helicopters were downed in a recent strike by the Ukrainian-made Magura V5 naval strike drones, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on its Telegram channel. HUR earlier said on Dec. 31 that only one helicopter had been destroyed.
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine inches toward the three-year mark, all eyes are on a potential peace agreement to end the war. If the parameters of any peace deal are likely to remain obscured for months to come, Ukraine’s ex-Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says one thing is clear
Ukraine’s electricity import increased more than fivefold in 2024 to 4.4 million megawatt-hours (MWh), ExPro consulting company’s electricity monitoring data showed on Jan. 2.
The rise in gas prices to 51 euros per megawatt-hour is the highest since October 2023.
Russia launched 72 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed ones, against Ukraine overnight on Jan. 2, Ukraine's Air Force reported on its Telegram channel.
A Russian attack overnight killed a civilian in the town of Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported on his Telegram channel on Jan. 2.
This number includes 1,370 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Russia's UAV losses included 35,670 destroyed FPV drones and 1,140 strike drones, the Navy said. Ukrainian units also eliminated 192 operational and tactical drones and another 164 Shahed-136/131 drones.
Married couple Ihor Zyma and Olesia Sokur both worked as scientists with the Institute for Biology and Medicine at the Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. They were killed in a Russian drone strike on Jan. 1.
Key developments on Jan. 1: * Russian drone attack kills 2, injures 6, damages central bank building in Kyiv * Russia has lost over 38,000 troops in Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Ukraine has brought back 1,358 people from Russian captivity in 2024 * Zelensky says Trump 'willing, capable of achieving peace
Russian Gazprom's decision to halt gas supplies to Moldova resulted in a heating outage in the Russian-controlled region of Transnistria, prompting Chisinau to seek alternative sources of electricity.
"Turning energy into a weapon and cynical energy blackmail of partners is what deprived Russia of its most attractive and geographically accessible market," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 1.
"We will do everything to ensure that Europe's security is a reality, not just an aspiration. I hope Poland will lead efforts that result in peace," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
The Russian army has lost over 38,000 troops and more than 1,000 pieces of equipment since the beginning of Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Jan. 1.
"This means that it (Ukraine) is now a full-fledged state party to this international treaty and has all the rights and obligations assigned to state parties," ICC spokesperson Fadi el-Abdallah told Ukrinform.
Over the past year, Ukraine conducted 11 prisoner exchanges and secured the return of 356 more people than in 2023.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his New Year video greeting late on Dec. 31 that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the United States would stand together with Ukraine as it fights to stop Russia's full-scale invasion.
Since the beginning of 2024, at least 246 children native to Kherson Oblast have been returned from Russian occupation, governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
"We Ukrainians know what it means not to wait for what tomorrow will bring, but to fight for every single day, and every year of freedom," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Herman Halushchenko said Ukraine could compensate for any disruption by importing electricity from Romania and Poland.
Key developments on Dec. 31: * Ukrainian sea drone downs Russian helicopter with anti-air missile in first strike of its kind * Russian attacks damage homes and infrastructure in Kyiv and Sumy oblasts ahead of New Year * Ukraine strikes oil depot in Russia's Smolensk Oblast, General Staff confirms * Russian officers trained for
The depot, which supplied the Russian military, was targeted in a coordinated operation involving Ukraine's Special Operations Forces and the Unmanned Systems Forces.
European infrastructure allows for the flow of gas from other countries, a European Commission representative said.
This comes a month after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed off on a major tax increase bill on Nov. 28 in a bid to plug Ukraine’s budget deficit.
Russian missile and drone attacks injured at least one person and damaged residential buildings and infrastructure in Kyiv and Sumy oblasts on Dec. 31
During a battle in the Black Sea off the Western tip of occupied Crimea, the special unit Group 13 launched SeeDragon missiles from the Magura drone.
Mashovets had been in the role since April 2020 under the Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak and oversaw the military direction of the President's Office.
This number includes 1,610 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day
Xi emphasized that China and Russia consistently advance together on a "path of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and not targeting any third party," according to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua.
An oil depot in the Yartsevo district of Russia's Smolensk region caught fire following a drone attack overnight on Dec. 31, according to regional authorities.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has a chance to contribute to restoring stability in Syria following years of Russian interference, emphasizing that this effort will also bolster Ukraine’s own pursuit of peace.
